


Home for the Holidays

by yuletide_archivist



Category: Bend It Like Beckham (2002)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-12-22
Updated: 2004-12-22
Packaged: 2018-01-25 06:05:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1635545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yuletide_archivist/pseuds/yuletide_archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for Cristin Anne</p>
    </blockquote>





	Home for the Holidays

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Cristin Anne

 

 

A/N: I just had to have something, however tenuous, behind them getting together so forgive the cliche. And apologies for the Americanisms-let's just say that Jess and Jules picked some up while living in the US.

The ball arched overhead, back lit for a stunning instant against the setting California sun. Jess held her breath as the opposing goalie dove for it. Come on, come on, she mentally urged it just a smidge to the right so it would slip past the goalie's fingers. Everything slowed, and she could make out every detail in a manner remarkably similar to certain American advertisements. Suddenly, something rammed into her. Jess connected with the wall? with a muffled thud.

"I'm awake," she muttered, trying to open her eyes enough to glare at Jules.

"Better be. We just landed," Jules informed her cheerily.

"Already?"

"I tried to wake you up when the stewardess came around but-"

"Was it better than cafeteria food?"

"Unfortunately so. It only tasted like cardboard; it didn't look like it as well."

"Am I a dreadful daughter for looking forward to Mum's cooking more than anything?"

"No. You're just a dreadful roomie for not taking every opportunity to convince your mum to send food so we don't starve."

"Well, your parents sent those nutrition bar...things."

Jules rolled her eyes. "It's important to keep a balanced diet, Juliette. Didn't you read the informational pamphlet about the 'freshers fifteen'? Don't you want to look nice on the weekends, when you're out on the beach?"

"When was the last time we went to the beach?"

"You? Never. You're too busy waiting for Joe to call to actually go out and have any fun." Jules grinned. "Looking forward to seeing him again?"

"Yeah. I'm not looking forward to telling Mum and Dad about him, though."

"The PDA in the airport was rather obvious, Jess. I'll trade you. Mum's going to be obnoxious about my non-existent American boyfriend."

"So don't tell her he doesn't exist. Can you hand me the duffel?" Jess stood up carefully, trying not to hit her head on the really, really low ceiling.

"What?"

"The blue one."

Jules sighed, and tossed the bag at her friend. "Didn't we go through the whole 'why lying to your parents is bad' thing last summer?"

"I don't really care. Could you two please have this conversation somewhere else, possibly in a location where you girls aren't holding up a whole queue of people?"

"Oh...sorry?" Jess tried to grab her bags, and avoid the glares of half the plane. Jules just laughed and grabbed the other side of the overflowing tote bag.

"Come on," she said, yanking the bag. Jess had no choice but to follow, mumbling apologies as she whirled around. She belated remembered the stray cleat tied to the strap of her tote bag, and managed to snag it before it smacked the irate businessman in the face. She didn't bother with another apology, and sprinted down the terminal.

By the time Jess caught up with Jules, they were nearly to baggage claim and completely overwhelmed by parents who hadn't seen them in months.

"How were your exams?"

"Glad to be home?"

"Darling, I saw the cutest track suit yesterday..."

"Welcome home!"

And most importantly, a kiss from the most perfect, gorgeous guy ever. An amazing, breathless kiss that went on for days and put those constant nagging doubts about very long distance relationships (relationships based on physical attraction and that single shared-but all encompassing!-interest) at last. Or at least that's what would happen in the movie. But since this was real life, Joe was working, and Jess wouldn't get to see him until later that week. Jules claimed to be so over him, but still, things were more than a little awkward. But once she saw him, things would come together.

"See you this evening!" Jules yelled from between her parents and the mountain of baggage. There had been a great deal of sitting required to get it to close, possibly due to Jules' inability to fold anything. They had eventually given up, and Jess had repacked everything for her. Oddly enough, all she could think about now was how nice it would be to be back in their tiny dorm room, without obnoxious, over bearing parents and difficult kind of boyfriends. Everyone said coming home was difficult, but how long was she going to have to field questions about her nice pre-med degree that the football scholarship thing was allowing her to pursue.

Jess sat in the car and made appropriate noises over Pinky's news and answering the questions being fired at her. Yes, her examinations went well. No, football wasn't taking away time from her studies; her scholarship would be taken away if she wasn't making satisfactory progress toward a degree. Yes, she was getting enough to eat.

*****

The Paxton residence was absolutely covered in twinkling lights. In fact, the only thing brighter was Mrs Paxton's giant Christmas tree broach. It caught the light in a manner almost as painful as her tendency to pounce on every guest as soon as he or she came through the door. She was in her element: a party to welcome home her lovely, tanned daughter who was finally starting to have interests outside of football. Sort of. Likely. The fact that she had a boyfriend was something, wasn't it?

"Jessminder! Mr and Mrs Bharma! Welcome. Canap?" Mrs Paxton held out the tray and stepped back to reveal a prominently displayed article that Jules must have cut out and sent her. It was the pictures, more than the 'meet the team' article, that was so striking. The sports photographer (who had been more than happy to spend an afternoon ogling the girls' team) had captured quite a number of impressive candid shots, in addition to the posed team portrait. Jess' favorite was one of herself and Jules, right after completely dominating in a scrimmage. They had their arms around each other, and were grinning at the camera, high on adrenaline and victory. Jess smiled involuntarily when looking at the picture; it was pure Jules shining through. She envied that-Jules was Jules, while she was a (Trying to be) Good Daughter, a Footballer, a Future Doctor, and somehow the pieces never seemed to all come together.

Jules was currently looking highly uncomfortable while her mother babbled on about the imaginary boyfriend. What started as 'yeah, there's this guy I'm kind of seeing' had uncontrollably morphed into the impromptu creation of an entire personality.

"So, don't you have a picture of this Jason?"

"No, Mum I...left the film in my camera and it got exposed going through airport security."

"So what does he look like?"

Jules attributed her lack of embarrassment to years of dealing with her mother. Jess, on the other hand, blushed for her.

"Like an average guy? With um...dark hair? Medium height? A great football player-of the American variety!"

"Well, Jess knows him, doesn't he?"

"No!" both girls said vehemently.

"I mean, I've met him once or twice, but since he and Jules just got together..." Jess tried to save.

"I thought you met him the first week of school?" Jules, looking like a deer caught in the headlights, only nodded. "Well, I can understand wanting to keep him to yourself. After Jess and that Joe got together..."

Jess winced. Jules really meant it when she said she had no interest in Joe, right? Evidence pointed to the contrary, however, as she quickly exited the room. Jess glanced around, noticed that Mrs Paxton had moved on to a new victim, and ran after her friend.

***  
"Bloody brilliant idea there, Jess," Jules said as Jess shut the bedroom door behind her.

"Well you didn't have to go through with it. It was kind of grammar school, anyway."

"Yeah. But I'm at the point where I'd do anything to get Mum off my back. She got pretty bad after the whole...Joe thing."

"...Um... about that."

"It's fine. I think you two are great together. I just seem to have a thing for the unrequited."

"What? That's the first I've heard of anyone."

Jules looked away and toyed with the edge of her bedspread, her too long bangs falling into her face. Jess itched to push them out of the way. "Trust me, you won't."

"Come on. I thought I was your best friend?"

"All the more reason."

"What?"

Jules lifter her head briefly to look at her pointedly. "I really like Mia Hamm."

"So do I."

"Must I spell it out for you?"

"What? Oh."

"Look, I'm sorry. Can we just pretend that this was just a result of too much eggnog?"

"Um...it's fine. Really. Though I'm not so sure your Mum would-"

"She's not the problem."

"Really? What is it?"

"Must you be so bloody dense?" Jules bit her (fascinating) lower lip.

Jess looked at her. Really looked at her. And didn't respond.

"And must you sit under the mistletoe?"

"Huh?" Jess looked up, to find a green thing suspended from the ceiling, showing that even Jules' room had fallen victim to Mrs Paxton's holiday decorating.

She stared at it for a moment. Then, deliberately, she reached up and yanked it down. Holding it in front of her, she studied it for a second. Then, quickly before she lost her nerve, she crossed the gap between herself and Jules.

It was like being thirteen again-the nervous butterflies in the stomach, the frantic worries about where to put your hands, or how to breathe. But it was also...pretty amazing. And...right.

"Happy Christmas, Jules," Jess whispered, and leaned in to kiss her again.

 


End file.
